You do not have to spend a fortune on a child’s birthday party to ensure a good time. In fact, if you believe in Murphy’s Law, which states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, you will have a better chance of your child having a fun birthday if you don’t break the bank to do it. With a little planning, your child can have a fabulous and memorable birthday bash.
Step 1
Hold the party at your house, a friend or relative’s house or at a park. You will save a huge amount of money this way.
Step 2
Plan your party between meals, such as 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. This way, you do not have to feel obligated to provide a full meal, as you might if you held the party around the lunch or dinner hour. At this time of day, cake, punch and maybe some ice cream are all you need to serve.
Step 3
Keep the guest list to a minimum. Sometimes, children can have too much of a good thing and can actually become upset if over stimulated. A good rule of thumb is to invite one more child than your child’s age. So, if your child is turning six, invite seven children maximum.
Step 4
Send invitations by email instead of buying paper invitations and mailing them.
Step 5
Make your party decorations or use items you already have at home. You can use a sheet for a tablecloth, some flowers from your yard for the centerpiece, and scatter some candy or confetti around the table to make it festive.
Step 6
Blow up balloons. Use some for decorations around the party area, and just scatter the extra balloons around the room. The guests can play with them when they arrive.
Step 7
Use an older sibling, relative or neighbor for the entertainment. Have that person dress up as a clown. Buy some face paints, and show your clown how to paint some easy images, such as a rainbow, happy face, flower or the face of a cat.
Step 8
Choose a theme with games you can make up. For example, a classic party will have games such as musical chairs, “Simon Says,” “Follow the Leader” and, maybe, a pinata.
Step 9
Give inexpensive but thoughtful party favors. You can put together gift bags that contain Play-Doh, bubbles and stickers, perhaps. Or, you can hand out delicious homemade cookies, wrapped in colored plastic wrap and tied with curling ribbon.
Step 10
Make your own cake or make cupcakes. If you make a cake, you can decorate it with toys from home, such as mini action figures or small animal figurines.
Photo Credit
- birthday cake image by Cherry-Merry from Fotolia.com
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